I just wanted to point a few things about the Samsung Vibrant everyone is complaining about how this phone does not have a D-Pad and i just wanted to clear this up.
In fact this phone has a d-pad, select the samsung keyboard if not already in use hold down the key on the keyboard that is use to select numbers and symbols you will see a d-pad appear with copy, past select text options.
Also to easily dim your screen or to brighten your screen, slide your finger across the top of the screen where the notification bar is and you will notice your screen brighten or darken according to which way you slide your finger. (Note you may need to disable auto brightness for this function to be activated.
Heres a pic of the dpad
The Swype keyboard also has a really nice d-pad. Just swype from the tutorial icon right to the SYM key and it will show up.
Sent from my Vibrant, using the XDA app.
Thank you very much for the brightness slide tip!!!
Anyone else accidentally changing the brightness a lot? I swipe the bar with my left thumb, and if it's too angled of a swipe, my screen brightness goes to 11. I never thought I'd complain about a screen being too bright, lol.
can we activate the d-pad when not in a text entry field? I used the trackball on my G1 to select html anchors to get at small links or hovering elements
Wow I did not know this thanks for the info.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
cbisquit said:
can we activate the d-pad when not in a text entry field? I used the trackball on my G1 to select html anchors to get at small links or hovering elements
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be used on a web page, but I've only gotten it to come up by hitting a text box first. For that, even the addresses bar works.
-bZj
_____
-sent from my Samsung Vibrant via XDAapp
Awesome. Thanks for sharing this info.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
keyboard almost always pulls up with a long press on menu. but in the browser this also pulls up the URL bar so no can do. also what is 'keyboard sweeping' in the samsung keyboad options?
cbisquit said:
can we activate the d-pad when not in a text entry field? I used the trackball on my G1 to select html anchors to get at small links or hovering elements
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes all you have to do is hold down the menu key they keyboard will pop up and then you just have to do the process up top..
What about when you need to see text in a menu selection that is truncated to the side?
For example, if you go to Market -> Apps, under Finance and Health, you can see there are text that runs off to the right edge you can't read. In my old phone MyTouch, if I highlight Finance, the text will scroll across so I can read the rest of the line. Can't do this right now with the Vibrant.
jkcheng122 said:
What about when you need to see text in a menu selection that is truncated to the side?
For example, if you go to Market -> Apps, under Finance and Health, you can see there are text that runs off to the right edge you can't read. In my old phone MyTouch, if I highlight Finance, the text will scroll across so I can read the rest of the line. Can't do this right now with the Vibrant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i havent ran across this problem. i am pretty sure when 2.2 comes out it will fix alot of the small issues, like on my nexus
soklean said:
yes all you have to do is hold down the menu key they keyboard will pop up and then you just have to do the process up top..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not seeing that option since holding down menu opens the url bar which can't be closed independently of the keyboard.
Sent from my Vibrant using XDA app
Awesome post, thanks.
Anyone figure out a better way to auto-fit text on the browser? I find tilting my phone to change the orientation and tilting it back makes it auto-fit. Phones like the Incredible do it as you're doing pinch to zoom--no need to flip the phone around.
blueman9 said:
The Swype keyboard also has a really nice d-pad. Just swype from the tutorial icon right to the SYM key and it will show up.
Sent from my Vibrant, using the XDA app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
excellent! I didn't realize that was a d pad lol.. i always thought of a d pad being like a trackball or flat button like on the blackberry bold 9700
thanks to you and the original poster for the tip. I found out about the swipe for screen brightness by John on droiddog dot com
very nice but in swype you can do the same thing just swype from the swype key at the bottom left to the SYM key right beside it and you get arrows and some other goodies.
Oh wow! This was my biggest complaint about the Vibrant. Thank you very much.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
For those saying "o wow", check the sticky. Surely some other things you've missed.
Dougefresh91 said:
Awesome post, thanks.
Anyone figure out a better way to auto-fit text on the browser? I find tilting my phone to change the orientation and tilting it back makes it auto-fit. Phones like the Incredible do it as you're doing pinch to zoom--no need to flip the phone around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hit the - or + buttons back and forth to get the text to wrap, yeah it's a bummer they don't wrap using the pinch zoom. Also you can double tap the screen to initiate zoom, that method also auto-fits the text.
Related
After pressing the bottom left hardware botton to select text, I'm having problem placing the cursor to accurately indicate the starting and ending position of the selection. What is the big secret on how to do this operation right?
i have the exact same problem.. i wish the phone had arrows or a trackball.. and when you select text twards the far right of the text box, it auto moves the screen back to the center of the box.. its very difficult, the only advice i can offer is pinch zoom in very close, till the text takes up most of the screen, and highlight better. of course pinchzooming method will only work for email and web pages.. no help for texting..
If I zoom in, then either the beginning of end of the selection block is no longer in view, and dragging does not automatically scroll the screen like in iPhone.
eaglesteve said:
If I zoom in, then either the beginning of end of the selection block is no longer in view, and dragging does not automatically scroll the screen like in iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone who is coming from an iPhone I can tell you that this is something that I really miss.
Android needs to learn how to do proper copy and paste (this is not just a Samsung thing).
On a side note, I am really hating the email client on android, this is not a phone very usable in a corporate (Exchange) environment!
Perhaps it is a mistake to omit the trackball?? Looks like trackball is extremely crucial for any Android phone.
Kurtbee, you're right. Google has not thought through the design of copy and paste properly yet.
eaglesteve said:
Perhaps it is a mistake to omit the trackball?? Looks like trackball is extremely crucial for any Android phone.
Kurtbee, you're right. Google has not thought through the design of copy and paste properly yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, trackballs are a step backwards. Android should simply implement a better way to select text - the iPhone does it beautifully.
I also am not in love with any of the email clients - even K-9 has a crappy/ugly interface. And why isn't there a way to force check email in the Integrated Mailbox?
MacGuy2006 said:
No, trackballs are a step backwards. Android should simply implement a better way to select text - the iPhone does it beautifully.
I also am not in love with any of the email clients - even K-9 has a crappy/ugly interface. And why isn't there a way to force check email in the Integrated Mailbox?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agreeing with you. However, copying Apple might land Google into a law suit, so I think they'll be weary of that.
BTW, for INPUT field only, I accidentally discover a way to accurately do it. Here's how:
1) On the Swype keyboard (that's why it is only limited to input field, unfortunately), draw a North west to south east line going across the upper right corner of the Swipe key. In other word, from the upper case arrow position to the SYM key. This will change the keyboard to one that contacts cursor, home, select all, select, text, cut, copy, paste.
2) Then use the cursor key to move to the one end of the selection block.
3) Press the select text button
4) Move cursor to the other end of the selection box, followed by either a cut or paste key depending on what you want to do. This will copy the block to the clipboard.
Unfortunately, often I need to select from non-input field as well, and there is no solution for that yet.
Hope this little tip helps everyone. Cheers.
Same thing for the samsung keyborad if you press the 123 field for a long time.
Now we need to find a way to do the same on a web page ...
nicoloco said:
Same thing for the samsung keyborad if you press the 123 field for a long time.
Now we need to find a way to do the same on a web page ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but how do I change the keyboard from Swype to the Samsung keyboard? Is this keyboard from Samsung or from Google?
Just touch the text until you see a pop up.
Then you should have the possibility to change the keyboard
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Got it. Thank!
Wow, thanks guys, this will make typing a lot easier! You would think the arrowy keyboard thing would be more highlighted and easily accesible since it's making the experience much better. Well, maybe in the gingerbread, they didn't hire the Palm UI guy for nothing...
I find it a little difficult, but can usually get it after 2 or 3 tries max.
Maybe using fingernail is more accurate?
Finger nails do not work on capacity touchscreen though. Even if it does, how do you deal with situation where the selection block span outside the screen? There is no provision to scroll the screen during the selection process.
HTC Sense Androids have a great copy-paste feature identical to IPhone. Hopefully it can get ported to galaxy
I am new to Android and loving my Aria so far. The only thing that is really bugging me is the text input. I am having a little separation anxiety from my keyboard and it seems like I must be missing something. First I am using the swype keyboard but I don't think that is related to my question.
When you enter text into any input, say the body of an email in the gmail app, is there an easy way to go back and edit that text? I often find myself tapping 5 or 6 times to try to get the cursor back to the exact place that I need to edit and it gets really frustrating? On the iPhone when you want to edit text a search window pops up where your finger is and you can slide it back and forth to find the exact spot that you are looking for. Is there anything like this for Android?
Thanks for any feedback.
cj
Slide your finger over the little track pad between the menu and back button at the bottom of the phone. (Its the small silver circle). I think some people think that is the microphone but its not.
Ki77erB said:
Slide your finger over the little track pad between the menu and back button at the bottom of the phone. (Its the small silver circle). I think some people think that is the microphone but its not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aaah. I did know that was an optical input but I did not even think of it. I rarely use it since scrolling and selecting is so easy.
Thanks,
cj
chrisjaffe said:
I am new to Android and loving my Aria so far. The only thing that is really bugging me is the text input. I am having a little separation anxiety from my keyboard and it seems like I must be missing something. First I am using the swype keyboard but I don't think that is related to my question.
When you enter text into any input, say the body of an email in the gmail app, is there an easy way to go back and edit that text? I often find myself tapping 5 or 6 times to try to get the cursor back to the exact place that I need to edit and it gets really frustrating? On the iPhone when you want to edit text a search window pops up where your finger is and you can slide it back and forth to find the exact spot that you are looking for. Is there anything like this for Android?
Thanks for any feedback.
cj
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i hate trying to get the cursor back to edit a word glad someone asked
never thought about using the trackball sure makes things lot easier
Optical TrackPad FTW!
Sent from my Liberty using XDA App
Even better than the optical trackpad, Smart Keyboard has an arrow layout option that let's you navigate text way faster. The board is real nice too.
So it doesnt seem as though there is a thread like this for the Epic.
I figured this would be a good place to list a bunch of random things you've found while "tinkering" with you Epic 4G.
Example:
While in Camera mode, if you hit the power button it locks the camera. No buttons can be pushed until you "Unlock" the camera by pressing the power button once more. I figured this allows you to keep the camera app open without snapping random shots, so that when you are ready the camera app is readily available.
This same method works in the video player function...I found this out cus I have a 2 year old that loves to watch his cartoons on my phone. Well he always tends to touch the screen and it usually interrupts the vid (streaming)...so now I just lock the video player (push the power button while video is playing) and now he can touch it all he wants and it wont interrupt the vid!
What else do you guys/gals know about this AWESOME phone!!???
-MaD
I just found out if you workout with your epic resting against your skin, you're risking it might get water damaged.
Here's something:
If you press down on the notifications tab at the top of your phone, and slide it to either the left or right, you can toggle the brightness (if it is set to MANUAL, and you can do this under the phone's settings).
shook187 said:
I just found out if you workout with your epic resting against your skin, you're risking it might get water damaged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SALTwater damage.
Learn to sweat distilled water. It's much safer for electronics
When on your contact list, swipe left to text or right to call that contact.
dwallersv said:
SALTwater damage.
Learn to sweat distilled water. It's much safer for electronics
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was being sarcastic when I wrote that. I read that happend to someone here.
Darkshneider said:
When on your contact list, swipe left to text or right to call that contact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dear god that's nifty!
Darkshneider said:
When on your contact list, swipe left to text or right to call that contact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same for the message list
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
I never knew the phone had a front facing camera until 2 weeks ago. I've had the phone since soon after it came out
tuttjs said:
I never knew the phone had a front facing camera until 2 weeks ago. I've had the phone since soon after it came out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously? Holy ****e dude, that was one of the key things the Epic had over the other guys.
Well, I knew this but some may not. On the physical keyboard, if you double press the "Shift" or "FN" keys, it does "Caps lock" and "Function Lock"
Sent from my always stock, EB13 Epic, awaiting EC05.
i recently learned that if you dial a number and hit the call icon this thing will actually make phone calls!!! f00king amazing, here i just thought it ran apps,played games,video and movies.
Ziing!
BopChie said:
i recently learned that if you dial a number and hit the call icon this thing will actually make phone calls!!! f00king amazing, here i just thought it ran apps,played games,video and movies.
Ziing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Confirmed. Wow I Just tried this and it's pretty amazing! +11111111
Here's another one that's semi-useful.
This will only work with the stock SWYPE keyboard. Now there are some complications usually when trying to copy/paste text with androids. If you have a keyboard, you can easily hold "shift" and swype across the text you are trying to copy.
Well with the SWYPE keyboard, if you do not want to open up the physical keyboard, you have the option of pressing the "i" button at the bottom (next to SYM) and if you hold that and swype on over to SYM and back to the "i" button, a menu with several different commands will show up. I'm not too familiar with how to use it, but I know it gives you the option to copy/paste, move up and down and select text fairly easy.
OperationMove said:
Confirmed. Wow I Just tried this and it's pretty amazing! +11111111
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol... learn something new every day ha?
zanderman112 said:
Well, I knew this but some may not. On the physical keyboard, if you double press the "Shift" or "FN" keys, it does "Caps lock" and "Function Lock"
Sent from my always stock, EB13 Epic, awaiting EC05.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every phone has the same double press.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
BopChie said:
i recently learned that if you dial a number and hit the call icon this thing will actually make phone calls!!! f00king amazing, here i just thought it ran apps,played games,video and movies.
Ziing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny sh|t... a shrink actually told me that she has teen clients who get in trouble, and lose their text priveledges, and are really going crazy, shrink suggests just making a voice call... the kid looks terrified, to call their 'best friend'...I really hope FFCs can help this... thats just sad. Its not even basement dwellers either, these are 'popular kids'.... I think Skynet has already won. Anyways, what phone are you getting next????
johnp1991 said:
Every phone has the same double press.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just gonna let that one slide... figured they were new to having a phone...
Pettro said:
Well with the SWYPE keyboard, if you do not want to open up the physical keyboard, you have the option of pressing the "i" button at the bottom (next to SYM) and if you hold that and swype on over to SYM and back to the "i" button, a menu with several different commands will show up. I'm not too familiar with how to use it, but I know it gives you the option to copy/paste, move up and down and select text fairly easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to swype back to the "i" button. Swyping from the "i" button over to the SYM button brings up the same options. Gives you arrow keys which are pretty awesome to use. Also, if you swype from the "i" button over to the "F" key, it brings up a nice keypad for you to input numbers/symbols.
Also, while on the topic of swyping, here are some other cool things:
If you want to capitalize a letter, you swype from that letter off of the swype keyboard entirely and then continue swyping. So if you wanted for some reason to type CaT, you would swype from the "c" key off of the keyboard entirely and then over to the "a" key and then over to the "t" key and then off the keyboard entirely again.
If you want to hit a double letter, like the two o's in Google, you swype from the "g" over to the "o" and swirl around on it for a second and then continue swyping the rest of the word. The swirling around doubles whatever key you are swirling over.
Pettro said:
Here's another one that's semi-useful.
Well with the SWYPE keyboard, if you do not want to open up the physical keyboard, you have the option of pressing the "i" button at the bottom (next to SYM) and if you hold that and swype on over to SYM and back to the "i" button, a menu with several different commands will show up. I'm not too familiar with how to use it, but I know it gives you the option to copy/paste, move up and down and select text fairly easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just swiping from the swype(or i/info depending on your version/rom/theme) key to sym alone will open that layout.
heres another swipe shortcut
start at the swype/info key then swipe diagonaly to the upper right and let go when your past the keyboard layout.... This will open the numerical keypad.
last one it got (that i can think of at the moment)
you can usually simulate a battery pull/force reset if your softlocked by holding cam+vol_up+power... saved me some hassle when i had a hard case on my epic many times when experimenting with roms/kernel/tweaks.
UPDATE:
muyoso has apparently tapped into my brain and beat me to it LOL... and sombish... yeah u can just swipe from the info to the f and get numerical keypad also
Does anyone know how to move the cursor when using the keyboard, needing to add/delete a characters in the middle of a msg or text and repeated stabbing on my screen to get it in the right place is extremely frustrating anyone know a better way
I'm glad it's not just me, it must be hell on one of the lower end small screen devices. I have enough trouble on the X5!
btw langers, a little off topic but... have u tried 2degrees free facebook "zero" service??? when i try i get an error saying its not available from my carrier?? Just wondering whether its cos i'm not using my original stock rom
Facebook 0 works for me so you could be right
k thanks for that
Hey guys,
The reason you cant get onto FB 0 service is because you are using the APN internet.
This does not require a proxy and therefore o.facebook cant parse your mobile number to confirm you are indeed with 2degrees.
Try editing you APN and throwing 118.148.001.118 in the proxy and 8080 in the port.
If that doesn't work activate your WAP profile (it'll be called '2degrees') and see if that works.
If youre still having trouble give 2deg a call on 0800 022 022 and they'll sort you.
hope this helps
I'm using internet API and it works fine with no intervention/editing from me
YES!!!
cheers for that, worked a treat, didnt even realise those settings were even there, lol fairly new to the smartphone thing!!
i was using the internet apn as you said and once i switched it to 2deg all was good
Aren't we talking keyboard cursor?
I have been seeking for an app to have the little arrow text selector in our vanilla froyo, I mean that selector in gingerbread and HTC and Samsung machines.
Anyone know if there's such an app?
simplistian said:
Aren't we talking keyboard cursor?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ahhmmm yeh...i did say it was a little off topic, lol...finding other kiwis on here was just too good of an opportunity to miss...sorry bout that....
dibb_nz said:
ahhmmm yeh...i did say it was a little off topic, lol...finding other kiwis on here was just too good of an opportunity to miss...sorry bout that....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it's not a complaint
Just too eager for a solution of the keyboard cursor mover
Well the good news is, after hours of searching finally found a solution of sorts...the bad news is, it ain't free $3.75. BUT there is a free trial version, with nag screen. I'm using it now and have only been nagged once.
The cursor can be moved via arrow keys which are enabled thru the extensive settings menu.
The arrow keys up, down, left, right sit at the bottom of the keyboard and make editing easy peasy. As u can imagine it does take up a fair bit of yr screen and the keys are slightly smaller but I think there is a calibration setting 4 that.
What I do like is upper case numbers and symbols, so no need to change screens.
Prediction works really, really well 2.
A heap of languages are also supported.
All in all not a bad little k/b, so head 2 the market an check it out. Smart Keyboard Trial.
Oh, btw swype also has arrow keys 4 cursor control if that spins ye wheels!
Sent from my IDEOS X5 using XDA Premium App
Smart Keyboard Pro has arrow keys and it can be configured to use the volume buttons to move the cursor.
e. lol a minute late
No luck for me as I have to stick with Chinese keyboards. I am looking for another app which adds a slider for text selection like how gingerbread implemented.
@pezzku - hehehe yeh, after I submittted the post i checked my email and saw your post and thort why didnt i check earlier!!! never saw the time u posted it tho...great minds...
@simplistian - oh thats a real bummer m8 maybe u could start a new thread and hopefully someone out there may be able to help out?
Test this keyboard https://market.android.com/details?id=com.moo.android.inputmethod.latin.free
It has several seperate language packs and you access the arrows by sliding the space button up.
dibb_nz said:
Oh, btw swype also has arrow keys 4 cursor control if that spins ye wheels
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where? I use Swype but have never seen arrow keys
Also from NZ
mejobloggs said:
Where? I use Swype but have never seen arrow keys
Also from NZ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kiaora mejobloggs good 2have u on board!
swipe the bottom left 2 keys from memory the onewith the blue s thingy on it and 123 key.
Couldn't get my head round swipe tho I like the concept. I gotta say tho the more I use smart keyboard the more I'm liking it .com key alwaysshowing an longpress auto enters uppercase symbols/numbers, no screen switching at all lottsa options, skins and well supported,,forum,wot morecould u want ???
mejobloggs said:
Where? I use Swype but have never seen arrow keys
Also from NZ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To get arrow keys in swype...
swype from uppercase key to the swype key and then SYM key.
This is what we want, guys:
padkite
Please google, as I'm not allowed to post links, new user and all. For use in browsers only, at this stage, and in development, so not yet in the marketplace.
Please post your experiences!
Ok, this is going to probably sound really dumb, but it's driving me nuts.
I've used Android for a few years now, and I've never sorted out if there's a way to scroll left and right in a text area.
No matter what keyboard I've used, I just end up deleting the whole dang thing, and typing from scratch, if it's text in a small window.
For example, if I typed a long url, and I realized after hitting enter that I must have made a typo. I'd like to go left to right in that bar and look for it easily.
I guess this has plagued me on every Apple and Android device I've owned. On RIM it was easy enough, and on older Symbian it was fine.
What the heck am I missing here?
Thanks!
Tap anywhere on the entered text - wait - there will be a blue arrow cursor below the text. Drag it whenever you want to start typing from.
/thread
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
Type anywhere on the entered text - wait - there will be a blue arrow cursor below the text. Drag it whenever you want to start typing from.
/thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nifty. That works in the URL bar, but what about other input areas?
I can't seem to make that work in say the google search input window.
bladebarrier said:
Nifty. That works in the URL bar, but what about other input areas?
I can't seem to make that work in say the google search input window.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works for me.
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
Works for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, it's a Firefox issue then. I tried chrome and it works in that (though I never really use chrome).
Ok thanks.
I was hoping there would be a convenient left and right key option on the keyboard itself, so that it wouldn't matter what app I'm using, but I guess it's tied to the app itself. That kind of stinks. It's rather awkward in design.
Do you know of an alternative keyboard that supports that type of functionality? I like the "Swpe-like" setup in the stock keyboard, but I'd much rather have an easier correction method built in.
You can enable the function to move the cursor using the volume rocker. It's in Settings - Language and Input - and that option will be down below the input methods
I miss the big keyboard with arrows from HTC Flyer though - it's pretty awesome to use in portrait mode, though not as useful in landscape since it takes much more space than N7's does
And no, I don't know about other keyboard since I don't use them, I prefer stock
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
You can enable the function to move the cursor using the volume rocker. It's in Settings - Language and Input - and that option will be down below the input methods
I miss the big keyboard with arrows from HTC Flyer though - it's pretty awesome to use in portrait mode, though not as useful in landscape since it takes much more space than N7's does
And no, I don't know about other keyboard since I don't use them, I prefer stock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent. That will work just fine.
Thanks a bunch for your help!